Shoe lift



Nov. 17, 1964 a. B. RAUSE 3,156,988

SHOE LIFT Filed Sept. 27, 1963 48 INVENTOR Bop-ms B. Eauss ATTO EN EVS United States Patent 3,156,988 Sl-IUE LIFT Bohus B. Rause, 8% W. Castlegate, Lake Forest, Ill. Filed Sept. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 312,078 9 Claims. (Ci. 358I) This invention relates to devices generally known as shoe lifts, the purpose of which is to compensate for the shorter of a pair of legs of unequal length. Whatever the reason for this inequality of leg length, whether congenital, or induced during lifetime by accident, or a crippling disease, such as arthritis, the afi'hction is more or less intolerable, and, unless uncorrected, can lead to further complications, such as curvature of the spine. Consequently, there have been, from early times, pro posals to remedy the situation, but these, for the most part have consisted in an extended, shoemaking ob, presenting, in outward appearance, a sole and a heel of greatly enlarged thickness. Not only is this construction conspicuous, and therefore productive of embarrassment, but is also attended with excessive weight, thus adding to the already serious difficulties of the afllicted person. Furthermore, such devices are expensive, not only per item, being handcrafted to measure, among other things, but also in the matter of duration of useful life, and replacement.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a shoe lift which is not conspicuous as to its construction and purpose.

Another object is to provide a shoe lift which is light in weight.

Yet another object is to provide a shoe lift which is low in cost.

A still further object is to provide a shoe lift in a plurality of separate, identical units, whereby it may be replaced or repaired in part.

Another object is to provide a composite shoe lift capable of assembly from parts which are selective as to degree of uplift.

An additional object is to provide a lift capable of attachment to an ordinary commercial shoe, and particularly a lift having a sole portion and a heel portion.

It is also an object to provide shoe lifts with groundengaging cleats having contact tips of rubbery material.

These and other objects, which will be apparent, are attained by the present invention, a preferred form of which is described in the following specification, as illustrated in the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of a conventional shoe bearing a lift comprising sole and heel plates having the plural cleats,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the parts of FIGURE 1, with the shoe shown in fragment,

FIGURE 3 is a partial, sectional view of a detail through a cleat, on enlarged scale, taken on the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is a bracketed view, in perspective, of the sole plate and cleats, with the parts of one of the cleats shown in exploded form.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown a conventional shoe It), with a sole 12, and a heel 14. A metal sole plate 16 underlies the forepart of the sole I2, and is coextensive therewith, and similarly, a heel plate 18 underlies the heel 14, and is coextensive therewith. For minimizing weight, the plates may be fabricated of a light metal, such as aluminum or the like, but any suitable metal, or other material may be employed. Although certain parts of the plates will be subject to side knocks, there will be no direct or steady wear on them, as by repeated ground engagement, the burden of which is absorbed by auxiliary cleats, as will 3,156,988 Patented Nov. 17, 1964 be seen. For further reduction of weight, without loss of required strength, the sole plate 16 may have cut-out portions, such as the apertures 20, 22.

The plates are detachably secured to the shoe sole 12 by meansof upturned arms which embrace the sides of the sole. In the case of the sole plate 16, these identical arms 24 are provided, and are four in number. The arms on the heel plate, also four in number, comprise a long, rear arm 26, two medium length side arms 28, and a short, forward arm 30. Each arm. has a threaded, horizontal bore 31, near its upper end, receiving a conically-tipped, Allen screw 32, these screws being of 8-32 size, in the embodiment shown. It will be seen that by virtue of the arms and pointed screws, the plates may be easily attached to a shoe sole, and firmly secured against displacement, and yet are easily detached.

Lifts are secured to the undersides of the sole and heel plates and are composite in nature, and comprise relatively long, spacing sleeves 34, in the case of the heel plate 1%, and short, spacing sleeves 35, in the case of the sole plate, which sleeves are snugly received on circular bosses 36, integral with, or secured, as by brazing, to the plates 16 and 18, at locations corresponding to the desired pattern of lifts. Each boss 36 has a threaded, axial bore, aligned with a similar, threaded bore in its associated plate, to receiving a holding screw 38, which secures a ground-contact tip in place. The tips 40, related to the heel plate, are slightly longer than tips 42 related to the sole plate. If the bosses are integral with the plate, the bores in the bosses and the plate may be made in a casting operation. As best seen in FIGURE 3, the rubberlike tips are cylindrical in form, with outer diameters equal to those of the spacing sleeves, and each has a reduced, upper end 44, sized for a snug fit in the lower ends of the spacing sleeves, and axial bores 46, and counterbores 48, to accommodate screws 38.

The variation in lengths of the spacing sleeves and the contact tips in the heel and sole portions is illustrative of the flexibility of arrangement which is possible with a minimum number of individual, basic, design units, and it will be understood that sleeves and tips of equal length throughout a given lift assembly are also contemplated. With or without this uniformity, the over-all amount of lift may be varied by different lengths of sleeves, or tips, or both.

Although a lift assembly is necessarily used on only one of a given pair of shoes, it will be needed for both left and right shoes, and therefore two general types of sole plates will be required on the commercial market. The plates will also be required in a variety of sizes, but variation in the lifts may be kept to a minimum.

Not only is the lift of the present invention light in weight, durable and inexpensive, but is also conducive to great comfort and alleviation from the usual effects of the afiiiction corrected, since it permits walking on the normal joint positions of the foot and ankle, and provides cushioning. In addition, the spaced-cleat system provides a ground grip which is not only certain in action and proof against slip, in any direction, but also provides a degree of yield which is effective for both longitudinal and lateral rocking.

A further advantage lies in the ease with which the tips 40, 42 may be replaced, either as a consequence of wear, or to vary the height correction.

In general summary, the lift of the present invention provides advantages in the following particulars: adjustability, low weight, adaptation to commercial shoes, cushioning, and removability and replaceability of cleat units.

While a certain, preferred embodiment has been shown and described, various modifications will be apparent, in the light of this disclosure, and the invention should not,

therefore, be deemed as limited, except insofar as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: V

1. The combination with a shoe sole of a lift assembly comprising a plate underlying a part of the sole, means on the plate securably engaging the sole part, and at least one lift element secured to and extending downwardly from the plate, said lift element comprising a tubular spacer sleeve engaged with the undersurface of the plate, said sleeve having an open lower end, a rubberlike tip of the same outside diameter as the sleeve, said tip having a reduced diameter portion on its upper end engaged in the lower end of the sleeve, and an axial screw secured to the tip and threaded into the plate.

'2. The eombination of claim 1, wherein [the upper end of the tip is spaced downwardly from the plate.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said sole part is the forepart of the sole.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said sole part is a heel.

5. The combination with a shoe sole part of a lift assembly comprising a plate underlying the sole part and secured thereto, and a plurality of circumferentially and laterally spaced lift elements removably secured to and extending downwardly from the plate, each of said lift elements comprising an open-ended tubular spacing sleeve engaged at its upper end with the undersurface of the plate, a rubber-like tip of the same outside diameter as the sleeve and engaged with the lower end of the sleeve, said tip having a reduced diameter upper portion engaged in the lower end of the sleeve, and a screw secured to the tip and threaded into the plate.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein said sole part is the forepart of the sole.

7. The combination of claim 5, wherein said sole part is the heel of the sole.

8. The combination of claim 1, wherein said plate is formed with a boss on its underside which is received in the upper end of the sleeve.

9. The combination of claim 5, wherein said plate is formed with bosses on its underside which are secured in the upper ends of the spacer sleeves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,136,112 4/15 Fecko 36-65 1,200,658 10/16; Senf 3661 1,998,921 4/35 Brown 36107 2,070,595 2/37 Haider 3659 2,668,373 2/54 Russo 36107 2,747,300 6/56 Field 36-7.5

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

FRANK I. COHEN, Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A SHOE SOLE OF A LIFT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLATE UNDERLYING A PART OF THE SOLE, MEANS ON THE PLATE SECURABLY ENGAGING THE SOLE PART, AND AT LEAST ONE LIFT ELEMENT SECURED TO AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE PLATE, SAID LIFT ELEMENT COMPRISING A TUBULAR SPACER SLEEVE ENGAGED WITH THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE PLATE, SAID SLEEVE HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END, A RUBBER LIKE TIP OF THE SAME OUTSIDE DIAMETER AS THE SLEEVE, SAID TIP HAVING A REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION ON ITS UPPER END 